WO 01/36051 describes a motor learning system for rehabilitation of neurological disorders and especially to orthopedic limb injuries. Said device comprises an insole or pad including a pressure sensor and/or force sensor to measure the weight force applied to at least two monitored locations of at least one limb of a patient. The sensors are connected to a computer processor making a comparison of the determined weight values against a predefined target weight distribution. Said target weight distribution is based on parameters unique to the patient and the injury. The processor is adapted to drive a stimulator delivering closed-loop sensory stimulation as feedback to encourage the patient to distribute said weight more evenly. The sensory stimulation can comprise visual and/or audio effects as well as mechanical vibrations.
Such a device is adapted to be used by a patient being able to actively follow the program defined through application of said target parameters and which patient decides about his actions. The aim of the device is to help a patient to find the equal weight distribution. Based on static inputs as e.g. gender and biomechanical properties of the fixation of the injury and quasi-static inputs as e.g. time post-injury and weight a initial rehabilitation program is generated, including e.g. bandwidth range and frequency of the walking patient. During the session the patient receives said feedback information to improve his performance. After completing a session the data set of acquired information is compared to the predefined success criteria and the initial rehabilitation program is adapted to better suit the needs of the patient for a following session.
Said system is not suitable for patients in a vegetative state or minimal conscious state.
Furthermore the known device initially generates predefined target signals determined and based on input parameters and then delivers—during a rehabilitation session—sensory stimulation to the patient as feedback based on a comparison of the measurement signals with target signals. Only after one completed rehabilitation session the predefined target signals for a subsequent rehabilitation session are adapted following the result of the completed rehabilitation session.